Worst-Case Higher Moment Coherent Risk Based on Optimal Transport with Application to Distributionally Robust Portfolio Optimization

The tail risk management is of great significance in the investment process. As an extension of the asymmetric tail risk measure—Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR), higher moment coherent risk (HMCR) is compatible with the higher moment information (skewness and kurtosis) of probability distribution of the asset returns as well as capturing distributional asymmetry. In order to overcome the difficulties arising from the asymmetry and ambiguity of the underlying distribution, we propose the Wasserstein distributionally robust mean-HMCR portfolio optimization model based on the kernel smoothing method and optimal transport, where the ambiguity set is defined as a Wasserstein “ball” around the empirical distribution in the weighted kernel density estimation (KDE) distribution function family. Leveraging Fenchel’s duality theory, we obtain the computationally tractable DCP (difference-of-convex programming) reformulations and show that the ambiguity version preserves the asymmetry of the HMCR measure. Primary empirical test results for portfolio selection demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model.

Portfolio optimization with optimal expected utility risk measures

The purpose of this article is to evaluate optimal expected utility risk measures (OEU) in a risk-constrained portfolio optimization context where the expected portfolio return is maximized. We compare the portfolio optimization with OEU constraint to a portfolio selection model using value at risk as constraint. The former is a coherent risk measure for utility functions with constant relative risk aversion and allows individual specifications to the investor’s risk attitude and time preference. In a case study with three indices, we investigate how these theoretical differences influence the performance of the portfolio selection strategies. A copula approach with univariate ARMA-GARCH models is used in a rolling forecast to simulate monthly future returns and calculate the derived measures for the optimization. The results of this study illustrate that both optimization strategies perform considerably better than an equally weighted portfolio and a buy and hold portfolio. Moreover, our results illustrate that portfolio optimization with OEU constraint experiences individualized effects, e.g., less risk-averse investors lose more portfolio value in the financial crises but outperform their more risk-averse counterparts in bull markets.

Capital Allocation Rules and the No-Undercut Property

This paper makes the point on a well known property of capital allocation rules, namely the one called no-undercut. Its desirability in capital allocation stems from some stability game theoretical features that are related to the notion of core, both for finite and infinite games. We review these aspects, by relating them to the properties of the risk measures that are involved in capital allocation problems. We also discuss some problems and possible extensions that arise when we deal with non-coherent risk measures.

Conditional coherent risk measures and regime-switching conic pricing

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>This paper introduces and represents conditional coherent risk measures as essential suprema of conditional expectations over a convex set of probability measures and as distorted expectations given a concave distortion function. A model is then developed for the bid and ask prices of a European-type asset by a conic formulation. The price process is governed by a modified geometric Brownian motion whose drift and diffusion coefficients depend on a Markov chain. The bid and ask prices of a European-type asset are then characterized using conic quantization.</p>